Police told a group of conservatives affiliated with FreeRepublic.com to cease a mock bake sale they held in front of John Kerrys D.C. campaign headquarters last weekend.

The small, pro-Bush rally was held to counter MoveOn.orgs Bake Back the White House bake sale last weekend, which the liberal organization claims brought in $250,000 from 1,000 bake sales around the country. The proceeds will help fund anti-Bush ads.

Kristinn Taylor, who helped organize the FreeRepublic gathering, said since the law prohibits a group like MoveOn from co-ordinating with the Kerry effort, it couldnt hold a bake sale in front of headquarters. So FreeRepublic decided to go there to needle the Kerry campaign.

Not long after members of the group set up on the sidewalk, said Taylor, the Kerry people came out to try to get them to leave. They hid behind building security, he said, but every time security came out, the Kerry people were right behind them.

After a few minutes of back and forth, he said, one of the campaign workers said theyd call the police.

The Kerry campaign denies that. It wasnt us, said a campaign worker familiar with the situation. Police came, but not on our urging.

After police arrived some time later, there was some confusion as to why the group had to be moved. The people couldnt be ticketed for an improper protest, as they were under the 25-person threshold, said Taylor, nor were they selling anything.

The cops finally settled on a charge of occupying a public space without a permit due to the protesters two card tables. Despite the protesters request, cops refused to issue a $50 ticket.

The Kerry people were outside monitoring it the entire time, Taylor said.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

How many of these rights were violated by the people working for the US Senator from MA and the Police Department of the one city in America that is directly under the control of Congress?

We could have challenged the ticket in court. The officers would have had to testify. The D.C. police has gotten alot of grief over how they treat protesters so the officers didn't want to go on the record with the ticket.

Also, because the Kerry campaign was involved, they had to do something to placate them so they gave us a lax order to shut down.

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